The four-year-old mare made never looked like being beaten after she skipped clear at the top of the straight and won by two lengths over fellow Bendigo galloper Defy, from the Shane Fliedner stable.

It was Final Flame’s eighth race start and her first following a 16-week spell.

Her jockey Ryan Hurdle delivered full praise to Gentle for a wonderful training performance.

“To be honest, on her form you probably couldn’t have come in too confident in this (race), first up over 1300m,” Hurdle told broadcaster Racing.com.

“But it was a really good training effort and (she) got the job done well and truly today.

“She’ll probably be even better over further as she will still pretty strong at the end of it.

“I was fortunate to have a good chat to Brian before the race and he gave me a good insight.

“I was looking, on paper, at going back, but he said ‘no, no, be positive on her.

“She was really strong on the line, so full credit goes to Brian.”

Gentle narrowly missed making it a double after another of his mares Diva Doc finished second behind the Darren Weir-trained Misty Sea in the following event over 1100m.

Gentle boasts three winners from four trips to the Mildura track since Destiny’s Reward’s win on July 31.